For the last few days, we've been testing a 2013 Klim Latitude Suit, and had an impromptu photo / video shoot with it last evening. Our tester / model actually has a 2012 version also, that he has used extensively both without and with the collar modification. This really helped in picking up some of the more subtle aspects of how it works. I know the Latitude has been discussed to death by a few OCD-afflicted inmates, but we had a couple interesting take-aways. In any case, I will do my best to avoid redundancy.

The change to the Latitude is simple: where most of the 2012 Latitude was made with an 840 denier Gore-Tex material, the 2013 uses a new Gore-Tex "Misano" fabric. The changed panels are the light gray ones, all the wear and abrasion areas still use 840d. FWIW I do not have the actual spec, but it seems to be a 500 denier weight.

The new suit is almost 2 full lbs lighter, weighing 5.00 lbs for the size L jacket and 3.88 lbs for the 32 pants (which were way too small, providing some of the evenings entertainment).

First, since it is really a great looking suit, a few pics:

First, the big question: how is the collar?

Tester used his 2012 version with the factory collar. Not having a long neck, this eventually drove him nuts, and he did the collar mod. With the collar reduced 1", he liked it much better. However, he immediately liked the 2013 much, much more, feeling is was more comfortable and quite good - even with the stock height:

Our take-away is this: The collar is not best-in-industry, but it is good, normal, and definitely no longer a deficiency.

Before after hitting the dirt for a while, we talked a bit about the feel of the two. I was kinda trying to make BOMBER Hopper feel OK about having what is now yesterday's news, and we felt the difference was minimal.

The difference between the 2012 and the 2013 is NOT minimal. Despite the fact that it is only a fabric change, it is huge. The suit is MUCH lighter, MUCH more flexible, MUCH more comfortable. After about 20 minutes in the suit, he rolled up and said, "man, this thing is way more comfortable than mine", and repeated this several times. By the end of the evening, we were talking about ways to sell his 2012 version and get one of these.

The other thing that is worth mentioning is the difference in fit. Few would imagine this, but making changes to the fabric weight has huge differences in fit. Lighter fabric generally makes a garment both more forgiving, and somewhat "bigger". Frankly, the 2012 version was finicky to fit for some because of the heavy fabric, and we had to pay extra attention to helping customers get their correct size. With the lighter fabric, I feel the 2013 is going to be MUCH more forgiving to size. Backing this up, our 5" 10" 180 lb size 34 tester was able to wear our 32 sample. He could not fit a 32 in the previous version.

Once again, the suit was light - 5 lbs for the L jacket and 3.88 for a 32 pant, with the armor. For reference, the ubiquitous FG Kilimanjaro is 8 lbs, the Klim Latitude is 7.46 lbs and some ADV jackets are almost 10. A Klim Traverse without armor is 3.08. Considering the Latitude's excellent 840 d abrasion panels and above-average armor, the thing is fricking light.

Here is what we feel is the important take-away: this suit slots into a unique, useful, and currently SPARSE product position in the market....a LIGHTWEIGHT ADV suit, with premium features. Waterproof, good armor, good fit, abrasion panels.....but NOT heavy. We know many, many riders looking for a suit that fits this category. They either are more athletic riders, ride into more rough terrain, or just cannot stand the weight of bulky ADV gear.

We have been looking for something that fits this description for a while. Firstgear gets this, this is exactly what they are aiming for with their Katmandhu suit. We like FG, but are lukewarm on the Kat suit. There are some other examples out there, but they all have some amount of corner-cutting to their designs...and feel cheap.

The new Latitude fits this perfectly. We often hear riders on more capable ADV bikes bemoan heavy jackets that make them feel less agile, they actually work against the capability of the bike. They still want the basics...reliable waterproof-ness, high-functioning key features like good armor, good venting, fit, excellent build quality, etc. They just want it in something that does not dull the riding experience.

By respec'ing the Latitude into a light weight hi performance ADV jacket, I feel Klim has made a new sorta "home" for it (and an excellent one). There are few jackets that fit this, and none that we like. Despite the acceptance of the Traverse for ADV, it was designed as an off road shell, and I have never felt comfortable recommending it for ADV. The Latitude was designed for it, and now, fills an empty niche within it. FYI, the Badlands currently outsells the Latitude, my feeling is that this will invert in 2013.

Ok, to balance things....what do we not like: the collar, while good now, should have a better system of adjustment. The light gray fabric appears to be a spun nylon yarn (note the matte finish) and spun yarn fabrics hold dirt and stain more. The pants pattern still seems like it will be an issue for those above 6' for standard inseams, and 6'2" for talls. We wish the pockets, which are on the front of the thighs, and the vents, which are on the sides, were swapped for position. That's really about it.

If all this is making your eyes roll back into your head, we apologize, and this is probably not for you. But I am 110% sure that there are many riders out there that know exactly what I am describing. They are looking for something in between a heavy, bulky, hot ADV jacket and a cheap, flimsy, featureless enduro jacket. This is it.

Great review. I just tried a 2012 large and it felt just a little too big. I'm same size as the tester, did he feel the '13 size large fit fine or could he have gone down to a medium? Do you know when you expect to start carrying these?

Great review. I just tried a 2012 large and it felt just a little too big. I'm same size as the tester, did he feel the '13 size large fit fine or could he have gone down to a medium? Do you know when you expect to start carrying these?

Hi HT.

That was exactly his comment, he could have gone down to an M. Plenty of extra volume for it.

How would you compare the fabrics in the 2013 latitude and the thinner sections of the traverse? I was under the impression that the original latitude was created out of the desire to have a more "road worthy" gore-tex suit? I have handled the traverse and it seemed like the "thin" fabric still seemed comparable to many competitors (IE 500-600D nylon of some sort). My biggest issue with it was the funny cut to cover your fanny pack.

Overall, I am just confused at the move! It seems like consumers demanded, Klim delivered, then consumers realized they didn't want what they thought they wanted? What'll be next, we'll figure out that we really do like the klim logos?

How would you compare the fabrics in the 2013 latitude and the thinner sections of the traverse? I was under the impression that the original latitude was created out of the desire to have a more "road worthy" gore-tex suit? I have handled the traverse and it seemed like the "thin" fabric still seemed comparable to many competitors (IE 500-600D nylon of some sort). My biggest issue with it was the funny cut to cover your fanny pack.

Overall, I am just confused at the move! It seems like consumers demanded, Klim delivered, then consumers realized they didn't want what they thought they wanted? What'll be next, we'll figure out that we really do like the klim logos?

Hey keiji.

I understand what you're saying. The light fabric on the Latitude is softer than the standard Traverse fabric. It feels lighter but my guess is that it is not. I think the denier is the same, just that it is softer.

FWIW because of minimum production requirements, product managers are very limited in what they can choose for fabrics. Gore in particular is a real PITA for this. Klim probably spec'd this because it was an in-production material and more easily available.

Your last point is well-made. I was surprised that Klim did the update. They must have had lots of comments about the weight, although I heard none. Anyway, the new fabric will not be as strong for abrasion, but the 2013 version does retain the 840d at the elbows, shoulders, tail, etc. The old version was a little over the top stiff, the 2013 Latitude really is much more comfortable. I am 100% sincere about the positioning thing, and feel like it is MUCH better as a lightweight ADV suit than it was as a normal one.

Having bought my Latitude jacket 2 months ago, I find the upgrade irritating. Will Klim do like Apple and uprade every 12 months ? That being said, I am still satisfied with my old version as at 6 feet, the collar is not an issue for me. The 940 will prove its worthyness in the long run.

Having bought my Latitude jacket 2 months ago, I find the upgrade irritating. Will Klim do like Apple and upgrade every 12 months ? That being said, I am still satisfied with my old version as at 6 feet, the collar is not an issue for me. The 940 will prove its worthiness in the long run.

Understandable. Model year changes are always a little messy. Usually there is solid planning and logic behind them, but often some folks get caught out, and they are never happy. In this case, it was rather sudden, which makes it stand out more.

In the 4 years we have sold Klim, they typically run 2 year or longer product cycles. This is normal in our industry, and long compared to some brands. Things like the Adventure Rally were 12 months, but communicated clearly. Klim now works on a pretty detailed development calendar, and are quite organized with product management these days (not always been this way.....we once found out about a price increase 3 days AFTER it happened.....).

I would guess none of this mitigates your frustration. FWIW our tester bought a Latitude 840 for himself two weeks before the new one released. The new Latitude Misano version is softer, but I feel the "Latitude 840" will have a longevity and abrasion-resistance edge.

I just wanted to toss out a thank you to Brian and the crew at Atomic-Moto. I just received my Latitude jacket today. I talked to them last week about the product and sizing along with my hope to get it before a trip this weekend. Brian was very honest about the pros and cons of the different gear and steered me in the right direction for me. I havent worn the jacket out yet, but so far the new Misano style seems pretty nice to me. I ordered a large and am 6'3" 220 with a 42 chest and 31 arm. It fits pretty well, even with a Gerbing underneath. It isn't loose, like I am used to with my current jacket, but maybe just right? TO be fair muy current jacket is too big and I think form fitting is preferred. I am going to wear it some more around the house to make sure, but I think it is good.

An added surprise was that there was a d3o tag on the outside and orange armor inside, so it looks like maybe KLIM is upgrading it?